Salvia guaranitica
Anise Sage | |
---|---|
Binomial: | Salvia guarnitica |
Type: | Herbaceous perennial |
Light requirements: | Full sun to light shade |
Water requirements: | Maintain adequate moisture to prevent wilting. |
Soil requirements: | Well-drained, deep soils |
USDA Hardiness Zone: | 8-10, to zone 6 for some cultivars. |
Pest issues: | rare |
Disease issues: | rare |
Bloom season: | Midsummer to freeze |
Weediness: | Aggressive spreader |
Pollination: | Insects, attracts hummingbirds |
Root: | Large tubers |
Toxicity and edibility: | Edible |
Salvia guaranitica (Anise-scented sage or Hummingbird sage) is a species of sage native to South America, including Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Argentina.
Description edit
It is a perennial or subshrub growing 1-3 m tall. The leaves are ovate, 4-13 cm long, mint green, and anise-scented when crushed. The inflorescences are up to 25 cm long, with each flower 3-5 cm long in varying shades of blue, with a dark basal calyx 10-12 mm long. Flowering begins in mid summer and continues through late autumn.
Salvia guaranitica is only a perennial in USDA Zones 7 to 10, but can be perennial in cooler climates, if planted in sunny microclimate.
Growing conditions edit
Deep, well-drained soils with adequate irrigation during drought periods. Water needs are low. In colder climates, the plant should be sited against a building or masonry.
Varieties edit
Numerous cultivars have been selected, including:
- 'Argentine Skies' (pale blue flowers)
- 'Black and Blue' (very dark violet blue calyx)
- 'Blue Enigma' (green calyx and blue flowers
- 'Blue Ensign' (large blue flowers)
- 'Purple Splendor' (large purple flowers)
Uses edit
Salvia guaranitica is a popular ornamental plant in mild areas where the temperature does not fall below −12 °C. It is most often planted in order to attract hummingbirds.
Maintenance edit
Prune to the ground in early spring, before new stems grow. Can be sheared to encourage bushiness. Staking is sometimes necessary. Excellent container plant.
Propagation edit
Division or stem cuttings. In colder climates, it can be dug in early autumn and kept indoors either in a pot or in vermiculite for dormant storage. It's hardiness can be greatly extended if planted against a building or masonry to maintain higher winter soil temperatures.
Pests and diseases edit
See Salvia for a list of pests and diseases affecting the genus Salvia.
References edit
- Christopher Brickell and Judith D. Zuk (1997). The American Horticultural Society A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants. DK Publishing. p. 929.
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(help) - Staff of the L. H. Bailey Hortorium (1976). Hortus Third: A Concise Dictionary of Plants Cultivated in the United States and Canada. Cornell University Press. p. 999.
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(help) - A Book of Salvias: Sages for Every Garden, Betsy Clebsch, page 90-92